EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Subjective well-being in Scotland
- Aggregate scores of subjective well-being are high in Scotland across the 5 questions included in SSA 2007. These ask how happy a person is, how satisfied they are with their life as a whole and how satisfied they are with their job (if in paid employment), general standard of living and family or personal life.
- On a scale of 0 ('extremely unhappy') to 10 ('extremely happy'), the average score on the 'happiness' measure is 8 indicating that more people are happy with their lives than are unhappy.
- The average scores for satisfaction with 'life as a whole', 'family or personal life' and 'general standard of living' are also 8, where 10 is 'extremely satisfied'.
- Levels of job satisfaction in Scotland are lower, with a mean score of 7.
Subjective well-being in Scotland compared with Europe and the rest of the UK
- Levels of subjective well-being in Scotland compare favourably with those of the 23 countries in Europe that participated in the 2006 European Social Survey ( ESS). Scotland is one of 9 countries in Europe to have a mean 'life satisfaction' score of 8, and one of 13 countries in Europe to have an average 'happiness' score of 8.
- There is little evidence to support Bell & Blanchflower's (2007) conclusion that people in Scotland are less satisfied and happy than those living elsewhere in the UK. Scotland had a mean life satisfaction score of 8.1 compared with 7.2 for the rest of the UK.
- Across Europe people are less satisfied with their jobs than they are with their lives in general.
Subjective well-being across different groups of people living in Scotland
- There is clear evidence of inequalities in subjective well-being in Scotland, with some groups of people living in Scotland more at risk of lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction than others. The key differences across the population were as follows:
- Men were more likely than women to have a lower than average 'job satisfaction' score (34% compared with 26%).
- Employment status was highly correlated with subjective well-being. Forty-eight percent of people who were unemployed had a 'life satisfaction' score below the average score of 8, compared with 25% of those in, or waiting to take up, paid work.
- People in routine or semi-routine occupations reported lower 'job satisfaction' and 'satisfaction with general standard of living' than those in any other type of occupation (48% had a below average 'job satisfaction' score compared with 20% of employers, managers and professionals).
- Married people, those living as married and widowers were happier and more satisfied with their lives as a whole than those who were separated, divorced or never married. For example, 46% of married people had an above average 'life satisfaction' score, compared with 30% who were separated or divorced.
- People living with children were more likely than those living with none to have a lower than average score on 'job satisfaction' (35% compared with 27%).
- Actual income was associated with 'job satisfaction' and 'general standard of living'. However, self-assessed hardship was a key factor relating to all 5 measures of subjective well-being. For example, people who were finding it 'difficult' or 'very difficult' to cope were four times as likely as those 'living comfortably' to have a below average score for 'satisfaction with standard of living.'
- People living in the most deprived areas in Scotland were almost twice as likely as those living in the least deprived areas to have a below average happiness score (46% compared with 25%).
- People who reported illness, disability or health problems were more likely than those with none to have low levels of 'job satisfaction' (43% compared with 27% respectively).
- Self-assessed health was strongly related to the other measures of subjective well-being included. For example, 16% of those who considered themselves to be in 'very good' health had a below average 'life satisfaction' score compared with 57% of those who described their health as 'bad' or 'very bad'.